Apparatus for degreasing containers



Aug 71 1945-7 E. w. KIMMIG Eg-AL i 2,380,968

APPARATUS FOR DEGREAS:KING: CONTAINERS Filed Marchas, 1944 s sheets-sheet 1 im x\ n fn, :u v i? Eri! l l Se l I las,

Aug- 7 1945- EQ w. KIMMIG ETAL 2,380,968

APPARATUS FOR DEGRESING .CONTAINERS lFiled March 2s, 1944 sheets-sheet 2 Figi@ @M www;

ug- 7, 1945 E. W. KIMMIG ET Al. 2,380,968

APPARATUS FOR DEGREASING CONTAINERS I Filed March .28, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug.v 7 1945` .2,380,968 APPARATUS Fon DEGREASING CoN'rAlNERs Emil w. aiming, Rutherford, and Francis J. qPeters, Clifton, N. J., assignors to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., .a corporation of New York Application March`28, 1944, Serial No. 528,488 7 Claims. (Cl. :i1- 13) 'I'he invention relates to new and useful improvements in an apparatus for degreasing containers and is particularly adapted for degreasing 1 a radio tube shell which is made of a single piece chamber in which is maintained a degreasing fluid in vapor form, and then through a chamber containing a degreasing uid in a liquid form, in which the articles are completely immersed.

A further object of the invent'on is to provide an apparatus of the above typ wherein the .ar-

ticles after being immersed in the degreasing fluid are positioned so as tov completely drain the degreasing fluid from' the article, afterfwhich they are passed in succession through' a b ath of rus'tproong liquid. v

A still further object ofthe invention is to jprovide an apparatus of the above type, wherein the `articles before passing into the presence ofthe degreasing vapor are passed through an inspection station where the articles may be' fully inspected.

` A still further object of the 4invention-is to provide anl apparatus .of the above type wherein a continuous traveling conveyor is provided with means for supporting the articles to be'cleaned, which conveyor carries the articles through the inspection station, thence through the cleaning treatment, and thence through the rustprooflng treatment, and wherein automatic means is provided for stripping the articles from the con'. veyor after the final treatment.

'I'hese and other objects will in part be Yobvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully de scribed. i'

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a side view showing -moreor less diagrammatically and partly in section, a porgtion of an apparatusl embodying the .improvements. .i

Figure la isa-side view showing the remainder of the apparatusm Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a planview on an enlarged of a portion of the conveyor.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a portion scale of the frame and throughthe conveyor on a line container used in connection with radio tubes and'commonly referred to as a radio tube shell.

In Figure 5 ot the drawings,A there is shown a radio tube shell T which includes a cylindrical 'tbody portion having a closed end portion at one end and a laterally projecting flange at the other end. This 'shell is made from a single piece of .metal by a drawing operation. The purpose of the present apparatus is -to remove all particles of grease from both the interior 4or exterior of the nished shell.

.The apparatus comprises a suitable supporting fr ame including a table formed of two sections of angle iron I and 2, secured together by bolts- 3; Each section has a depending skirt 4, 4. At the left-hand end, as viewed in Figure 1, there are .supporting legs 5 which are bolted to the 'depending skirts of the angle members forming the table. At 'the right-hand end the table is supported by a standard 6.

Mounted for travel lengthwise of the table is a conveyor 1. This conveyor consists of a -series of links arranged "in pairs and provided with spacer collars and-pivot bolts forming a usual type of conveyor chain adapted to travel over.

sprockets. The conveyor hain meshes with a driving sprocket 8, which is connected throughA a suitable-train ofgearing, indicated at 9, with a motor M. The motor is mounted on a bracket carried by the standard 6.

At the other end of the table is a sprocket l wheel-'.8' over which the conveyor travels, and

. this sprocket wheel 'ismounted in bearings car- -ranged -so that they are staggered relative to each other when viewed from above. Each bracket is provided with a holder consisting of a f base plate B carrying two'rods benlt'I into U-shap'e.` These base plates are secured to rthe respective supporting brackets by bolts b. These rods are indicated more in detail in Figure 5. The rod I2 lies in a .plane at vright angles to the rod I3.

" Thesel rods extend through openings --in the supporting base plate B andare welded or other-- Wise secured thereto. The rods are so shaped and dimensioned that a radio tube shell can be quickly slipped down over the rods when in vertical'position and contact between the inner surone of the carriers with a radio tube shell y mounted thereon. i y N While the apparatus embodying the invention i may be used for degreasing articles of various types, it is especially adapted forv degreasing a face of 'the shell and the rods will be of a mini? mum character. The rods are round, and therefore the rod I3 will make a-very short line contact with the closed end 2 of the shell. Each of the rods will also make line contact with aPOr- 'zsognie UNlTEDf-srATi-:s PATENT' oF-Flcl:

y inspecting station.

This contact between the rods and the side wall of the shell is suillcient to retain the shell on the rods. even when said rods are inverted so that they depend from the conveyor supporting the same.

The left hand end of the apparatus as shown in Figure la may fbe referred to not only as a loading station, but also as a discharge station, As the holders pass in a clockwise direction around the sprocket wheel 8 they will be brought onto the upper face of the table and as they move along, an operator can readily slip a shell down over the holders carried by the carrier. Two operators are preferably provided, one at each side for loading the shells onto these holders. 'I'he bolts 3 for securing the sections of the table together, also secure a half round strip I4 to the upper face of the table and the conveyor rides along on the half round strip,

The conveyor first presents these shells to an There are two inspecting stations and each' includes lamps I5, I5, and a magnifying glass I6. A suitable metal baille I1 is provided at each inspecting station to facilitate the inspection of the tubes. After passing the inspecting stations, the tubes pass around fthe sprocket 8 and thence along underneath the table. The conveyor runs around a sprocket I8 and thence downward and around a sprocket I9. The

' sprocket I8 is mounted in depending brackets 20 carried by the angle bars forming the table. The

and thence downward beneath' the surface of the degreasing fluid in the left-hand section of the tank. This section of the tank is kept filled with the degreasing fluid and as the condensed fluid is left in this section of the tank, it will flow back over the partition. The temperature of the iluld in the left-hand section is maintained substantially at 200 F. As these shells enter the degreasing fluid in the left-hand section of the tank, they will be lled with a degreasing fluid. The shells pass into the uid in an inclined position which permits all air and gases in the shells to be forced out of the same as the degreasing fluid enters. The same is true of the shells as they Ipass into the vapor degreasing section of the tank. After leaving the sprocket wheel 24, the conveyor passes over asprocket wheel 28. This sprocket wheel'is carried by the bracket arms 25, but inasmuch as the conveyor leaves the left-hand side of the sprocket wheel 24 and passes on to the righthand side of the sprocket wheel 2B the conveyor will travel in a line which is inclined rto the vertisprocket I9 is carriedl by depending brackets 2|, v

also mounted on the angle bars. The conveyor 'after passing around the sprocket I9, passes with a suitable cover having openings to permit the conveyor to pass into and out of the tank.

The tank is provided with a cross partition 21 which terminates at a line :c--n The partition 21 in o; measure divides the tank into two sections, one is a vapor degreasing section and the other is a rinsing section wh'ere the articles are submerged in the degreasing uid. In theH section at the right of the partition 21, the level of the degreasing fluid is substantially at 'a line y-y.

A heating means is provided in this sectionof the tank which raises the temperature of the degreasing fluid above boiling point and creates a degreasing vapor lthatillls the tank above the liquid level therein. This heating means may be an electric heater disposed below the bottom of the tank, as indicated at H, or any .other suitable heating means may be employed. 1

The sprockets Il and I! are so positioned relative to each other that the section indicated at S lies in a line which is at an acute angle to the vertical. Preferably the angle is about nve degrees. This will'cause a center line through each holder .to incline downwardly slightly. While the shells are passing along this sectionao'f lthe conveyor travel, the vapors of. the degreasing fluid contacting with the inner and outer faces of the shell -will condense and flow ldown into the shell so that the closed end of the shell is subjected #to this oughly subjectedto lthe degreasing vapor and everyk particlel of grease loosened for removal from -the ,surface o f -itheshell. The sprocket cal and the shells will be so positioned during this section of the path of travel of the conveyor that all degreasing fluid therein will be drained therefrom. This degreasing fluid is very volatile. and as soon as it is emptied from the shell, both the interior and the exterior of the shell will instantly dry.

After leaving the sprocket wheel 23, the conveyor passes over a sprocket wheel 29 carried by depending bracket arms 30 secured to the skirt of the table, and thence over a sprocket wheel 3l Directly beneath the sprocket wheel 3l is a tank 32 formed by a-partition 33 into two sections. The section at the right of the' partition 33 contains a rustprooflng material which may be in the form of any suitable drying oil.

The levelof .the'treating fluid is substantially onA the line z-z of Fig. la. The conveyor'will completely immerse the shells in the rustproong inclined position which permits all air and gases in the shells to be forced out of the same as the rustproong liquid enters. In order to give more time for the complete draining -of the rustproofing liquid from the shells, the conveyor passes over a sprocket wand thence over a sprocket 35 arranged directly above the section at the left of the partition 33. This section is substantially empty and serves as a collecting tank for any further Arustprooiing liquid which drains from the shells. 4

The conveyor after leaving the sprocket 35 passes over the sprocket I' and back to the loading station.

Mounted -on the supporting legs I, I are stripping plates 36, 38,' one at each side of the conveyor. These stripping Vplates are so disposed that the flange of the shell will contact therewith while the base plate supporting the holder for the shell passes above the'stripping plates. These plates 34 are also inclined downward and therefore the plates will force the shells oil! from the holders and they will drop into a suitable fiber drum indicated at 31 in the drawings.

, It is thought thatthe'operation of the apparatus will be clearly understood from the detailed description which has been given above. It may i be'stated, however, thaty the articles to be dewheels 22 and 24 are so positioned that the holders carrying the shells. pass over the partition 21 greased are placed by the operators on the holders while they are moving, and these holders con- `they are positioned so that all degreasing fluid collecting in the shells is drained therefrom. The shells are then passed into a rustproo-ng liquid Where they are completely immersed and positioned as they leave the bath so that the rustproong liquid collecting therein is completely drained from the shells. After the draining of this rustprool'lng liquid from the shells they are automatically stripped from the conveyor into a Y container` and the operator does not handle the shells after they have been degreased and the rustproong material applied thereto. The shells may be shipped in these containers to the place of use.

While the invention has been described in detail as applied to the degreasing of a cup-shaped radio tube shell, it Will be understood that it may be equally applied to the degreasing of any article. The only changes necessary would be in a supporting, means for holding the article on the conveyor so as to insure the article being completely subjected to the degreasing vapors, also to the rinsing action by the degreasing liquid, and also to the rust-proofing liquid following the degreasing treatment.

We claim:

l. A degreasing apparatus comprising a tank, means for maintaining in one section of the tank a hot vaporized grease-removing fluid and in another section of said tank a liquid bath of said grease-removing fluid, and a conveying means for passing the articles to be degreased continuously and in succession through the grease-removing vapors and then into and out of the grease-removing liquid.

2. A degreasing apparatus comprising a tank, means for maintaining in one section of the tank a hot vaporiZed grease-removingfluid and in another section oi said tank a liquid bath of said grease-removing iluid, a second tank having a bath of a rustproong liquid and a conveying means for passing he articles to be degreasedv continuously and in succession through the grease-removing vapor, then into and out oi the liquid bath and thence into the second tank and into and out of the rustproofing liquid.

3. A degreasing apparatus comprising a tank, means for maintaining in one section of the tank a hot vaporized grease-removing fluid and in another section of said tank .a liquid bath ci said grease-removing fluid, and a conveying means for passing the articles to be degreased continuously and in succession through the grease-removing vapors and then into and out of the grease-removing liquid, said conveying means including an endless chain, sprockets over which said endless chain passes, said endless chain having supporting brackets at spaced intervals and a holder carried by each bracket for supporting the article to be degreased.

4. A degreasing apparatus comprising a tank, means for maintaining in one section of the tank a hot vaporized grease-removing fluid and in another'section of said tank a liquid bath oi said grease-removing nuid,land a conveying means for passing the articles to be degreased continuously and in succession through the grease-removing vapors and then into and out of the grease-removing liquid, said conveying means including an endless chain, sprockets over which said endless chain passes, said endless chain having a supporting brackets at spaced intervals and a holder carried by each bracket for supporting the article to be degreased, said sprockets being arranged so that the articles after leaving the grease-removing liquid are positioned so that all liquid retained by the articles is drained therefrom before passing the articles through the rustp'rooilnfr liquid.

5. A degreasing apparatus comprising asupporting table, a tank disposed beneath the table, means for maintaining a hot vaporized greaseremoving fluid in one section of said tank and a liquid bath in another section thereof, a second tank, means for maintaining a rustproong liquid bath therein, sprocket Wheels at each end of the table and in saidtanks, an endless conveyor passing over said table around said sprockets and into and out of said tanks, spaced holders for the articles to be degreased carried by said con veyor, and means for driving said conveyor continuously, said sprockets being disposed so as to cause the articles to pass in succession through the grease-removing v'apor, then into and out of the grease-removing liquid and then into the second tank and into and out of the rustproong liquid.

6. A degreasing apparatus comprising a supporting table, a tank disposed beneath the table, means for maintaining a hot vaporized greaseremoving fluid in one section of said tank and a liquid bath in another section thereof, a second tank, means for maintaining a rustproong liquid bath therein, sprocket Wheels at each end of the table and in said tanks, an endless conveyor passing over said table around said sprockets and into and out of said tanks, spaced holders for the articles to be degreased carried by said conveyor, means for driving said conveyor continuously, said sprockets being disposed so as to cause the articles to pass in succession through the grease-removing vapor, then into and out of the grease-removing liquid and then into the second tank and into and out of the rustproong liquid, and means for automatically stripping the articles from the holders on the conveyor after the rustproonng treatment.

7. A degreasing apparatus comprising a supporting table, a tank disposed beneath the table, means for maintaining a hot vaporized greaseremoving fluid in one section of said tank and a liquid bath in another section thereof, a second tank, means for maintaining a rustproofing liquid bath therein, sprocket wheels at each end of the table and in said tanks, an endless conveyor passing over said table around said sprockets and into and out of said tanks, spaced holders for the articles to be degreased carried by said conveyor, means for driving said conveyor continuously, said sprockets being disposed so as to cause the articles to pass in succession through the greaseremoving vapor, then into and out of the greaseremoving liquid and then into the second tank `and into and out of the rustproong liquid, and inspecting stations arranged along said table including lamps and a magnifying glass.

EMIL W. KIMMIG. FRANCIS J. PETERS. 

